Migraines: The changeable weather is killing me. We've had so many ups and downs with temperature and barometric pressure and rain, then snow, then high winds that I knew I was in for it. My fantastic neurologist Dr. B. told me long ago to watch the isobars: When they start packing together, that's a bad sign. I had a 48-hour migraine already in process when we left for NotL on Saturday 1/6, and meds weren't touching it. Talk about miserable. We arrived at our favourite inn, and all I could do was hibernate in front of the fireplace in our suite. Resting helped quite a bit, and we briefly went out for a quick dinner, then spent the rest of the night in. The weather was cold and inhospitable anyway.
Winery Release Party: On Sunday afternoon our favourite winery was only open for the party, which was an intimate affair this time. It was Andrzej's birthday--a milestone one--so he was releasing a new family label of wines. I especially liked the sparkling, which spent 102 months sur lie. All of them were a tribute to his skills and lovely to drink. I was so happy that my migraine had resolved completely overnight, and I felt almost normal albeit a bit fragile. My wine intake was limited to a taste of each variety (minus chardonnay, which is a trigger for me), and I made sure I had food in my stomach.
Perfect Getaway: I have to say that what I enjoyed the most about the weekend was the fact that I could relax completely. There was literally Nothing That I Had To Do. No vacuuming, no dinner planning, no laundry, no errands, no little task was needling at me since I wasn't at home. I read; I watched Netflix; I browsed a bit on my iPad; Rick and I chatted with our friend the innkeeper. The weather never cleared up sufficiently to make walking pleasant, and I was so exhausted from fighting a headache for so long anyway. We talked and looked at photos of Theo. On our way home we stopped at the winery and picked up a mixed case of reds to plug a few holes in our cellar for the long winter ahead. Oh! And when we went to check out, our friend refused to charge us for our stay! He said he was technically closed anyway, and we didn't have Full Service (No breakfast--We were the only guests there.) We protested strenuously, but he wouldn't hear of it. We've stayed there exclusively for decades now, and we consider ourselves good friends.
That's one of the things we love about returning again and again to NotL. We've made friends with so many people there and stay in touch year 'round. It's a home away from home.
I hope you have had a Gentle Entry into the New Year. Tell me about your Home Away From Home, or a Friend you look forward to seeing when you're Away From Home.
I'm happy that you had a restful and restorative time away from home. Nothing to do sounds great to me. Sometimes it is just the ticket to get you on a happier peppier path back home.
ReplyDeleteAlly--Thanks. It really proved to be just what I needed, a true Getaway From It All.
DeleteApart from the migraine, this sounds so lovely, Nance. If I had a Home Away from Home, it would be my parents' summer home in the forest. Even though I never lived there when I was growing up, it feels like homecoming when I visit. Of course that has a tremendous amount to do with my parents being there. But I think the smells of the forest and the blue skies unlock a type of relaxation in my bones that I feel nowhere else.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne--Being in the midst of Nature is always calming, for me, anyway. It's very grounding and centering. If you feel comfy around your parents, that adds another layer of security for sure. I hope you get lots of time there this summer.
DeleteI'm glad the migraine didn't ruin your whole trip. Sounds like you had a nice time in spite of it .... maybe nicer in some ways because you truly did relax and enjoy the quiet time.
ReplyDeleteWe don't travel much. Since we've been back in PA our only overnights have been down to D.C. to see our son and/or Steve's brother. Steve and I are very much homebodies. We enjoy our day trips to see what we want to see and then coming home to our own bed.
Dee--Thank you, and I agree. Coming off that headache probably allowed me to fully relax and not feel like I *had* to Go Do Something just because we were on a getaway.
DeleteRick and I aren't big travellers, either. We have our lakehouse and NotL and that's about it for us now. There's a great deal to be said for enjoying the homes we've made for ourselves, isn't there?
My New Year? The YD packed frantically and left on the 31st for a plane that (at a reduced fare because of the date) took her back to Brussels to work on January 1st. The rest of the family arrived for New Year's Day dinner. As elaborate a meal as Christmas, almost. Sigh. The next few days were consumed by taking down, reboxing, sorting, and downsizing the Christmas Stuff. And getting the glitter off the floor in the room where we did the wrapping. I am getting rid of the glitter ribbon. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteSparkling wine? Recommended? Please?
I relaxed just reading this. What a nice place you stay.
Mary--The sparkling wine won't be available there until February. They are awaiting the cages that go atop the corks. We could only order it. Check their website, which I linked to in the post. It's extremely pricey, however; all the new wines under the family label are (prohibitively so, IMO). Definitely a Splurge for a special occasion.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a lovely NY's Day dinner, despite lacking one member who blew out in a cloud of glitter. (Glitter ribbon? What were you thinking?) Now you've got your home back to normal, and perhaps just a few holiday goodies are left to munch on.
We do stay at a lovely little place, and if a room there is not available, we change our date or we don't go.
So glad your migraine abated and you were able to enjoy the weekend. It sounds lovely! The innkeeper sounds like a gem of a friend.
ReplyDeleteVera--Thank you. It was a fast weekend (in on Saturday afternoon, out on Monday morning), but extremely relaxing and pleasant. And yes, Tim is just the best. We enjoy each other's company and are good friends. We once stayed at the inn for several days while he was in Spain; he simply left us the keys!
DeleteWhat a lovely getaway, Nance! I felt a sense of relaxation just from reading your description of it. I had to look up NOTL and it sounds quaint and peaceful and not too far from us, so I've put it on my travel list. I'm determined to get my partner to see Niagara Falls this summer and NOTL could be part of that trip too. I can't believe he grew up in Ohio and has never been; it was one of the first places my parents wanted to see when they arrived from India.
ReplyDeleteThe generosity of your innkeeper friend is remarkable. You must have always been wonderful guests, and now you are friends too. I love hearing when human connections are made so simply and beautifully.
maya--Please do take a trip to NotL! They are famous for their Shaw Festival. The theater productions there are fantastic, and they do a variety of plays as well as one musical a season. I've seen so many outstanding shows there, from Shaw to Williams to Wilde to--well, the list is endless. The town is a lovely little slice of heaven, and so many of the wineries in the surrounding area do complex and worthy wines.
DeleteWe've been so fortunate to have made many friends during our times in Canada. It's not hard to be gracious there in such pleasant surroundings. I know you'll find it to be the same when you visit.
Just looked up the 2024 season, and it has such a range (in plays and dates). Thanks for the tip, Nance!
DeleteWell, the migraine part sucks for sure, but it passed! And you were able to enjoy a very special weekend, with much relaxing, this is great! I'm very happy for you.
ReplyDeleteccr--It sure did, but when it passed, I felt so reborn! It made the weekend even better. Thanks for sharing my happiness. I know you can appreciate how wonderful it feels to have no obligations for even a couple of days.
DeleteI'm so very happy you had this almost perfect getaway. Oh, that you hadn't been suffering the after effects of your migraine of course (I always feel terrible for you when I hear you've experienced one) but I do understand how being less than 100% and being away from home with no responsibilities can allow one to let go and relax even more. The winery and the inn and your friends at both spots sound beyond incredible. How amazing to have such visits with them a few times a year (particularly for an exclusive event). Like coming home away from home!
ReplyDeleteOwe you an email. Hopefully, later today.
Shirley--Take as much time as you need to respond to me. I'm glad to hear from you in Comments! You can always send a short text or call me for a set time limit, too.
DeleteThanks for jumping in here. The term you used--Let Go--really is apt here. That is exactly what allowed me to relax. I totally Let Go of any expectation of myself because of the migraine. I could completely Let Go of any sort of worry or concern about Things To Do because there simply weren't any. I honestly think that was what helped usher my headache out the door.
Now if I could only Let Go more often--at home!
Oh, a relaxing weekend where you have no responsibilities! What a wonderful thing to have happen. I should make this happen more in my life. One of the reasons I love weddings so much is that I can get away and just have fun. But this post reminds me that I can do this without having to get a wedding invitation! Yay!
ReplyDeleteEngie--Yes, by all means you should. We need to Get Away From The Guilt of allowing ourselves to enjoy a day (or more!) of relaxation. It's a challenge! Can we sit, cozy and comfy, and read a book, watch something on streaming, write in our journals, or whatever and not look around and think about What We Could/Should Be Doing Instead? I think each and every one of us should make it a goal.
DeleteI'm so glad your migraine subsided in time to enjoy your weekend away. I've always wanted to have "our place" to go on vacation or for weekends away, but it never worked out for us. Possibly because we spent 20 years having to juggle in family visits. Oh! I used to say my dad's house was my favorite B&B!
ReplyDeleteJanuary hasn't been amazing so far. We shall see how things proceed going forward.
Bug--Thank you. It's tough to have to bounce between families when you plan vacations. We've never really had to do that, but I know my sister had to. Rick and I put a stop to that (sort of) when we informed both sets of parents that we'd be celebrating Christmas with the boys In Our Own Home, and no more hauling them back and forth. Not popular at first, but accepted.
DeleteI'm glad that you were so comfy at your dad's that it was a favourite place to stay.
I'll keep my fingers crossed (for all of us!) that January heads upward in many arenas. So far, it's not winning any awards for Month Of The Year.
I am glad that you had a relaxing time, even if the migraine was not behaving! That sounds like the perfect getaway to me; sometimes we just need to read and watch Netflix for a few days. Sorry that you couldn't get out more, but maybe it is a silver lining that you got to relax more.
ReplyDeleteI have a place in the mountains that is not quite as busy, is easy to get to and doesn't require a permit for overnight camping. I often go there and do an overnight backpacking trip, set myself up on a mountain somewhere and watch the sunset and then read my book until I fall asleep. It is perfect.
Kyria--I have to confess that I am SO not a camper. We used to go to Rick's grandparents' cabin atop a mountain with lovely scenery, but it had no indoor plumbing whatsoever and just a woodstove. We had to pump water and use an outhouse and big outdoor grill and flattop. After a few years, I regarded it all as just way too much work and inconvenience, especially as a vacation/getaway spot.
DeleteFor you, however, your mountain place sounds ideal. You can zip away on a moment's notice and see a pretty sunset, then call it a night. I know you appreciate it.
Glad the migraine didn't ruin your get-away. Staying at a lovely inn---for free no less---and your favorite wines to take home. What more could you ask for.
ReplyDeleteJean--Exactly. I couldn't ask for more. It was a real Get Away.
DeleteI'm not sure I could have mustered up the courage to go on your getaway in the midst of a migraine, but I'm so glad you were able to, because it subsided and let you have a quiet, lovely weekend with friends in one of your very favorite places. YAY! Are you enjoying Hello Beautiful? I really liked it.
ReplyDeleteJ--I get to a point sometimes with my headaches where I just get angry. It's dumb, I know, but I am so sick of them, and I can't simply let them win all the time. So I push through and do stuff just to spite them. It's incredibly childish and irrational because, ultimately, the one to suffer is ME, but after 47 years, I've come to see Migraine as almost a separate entity.
DeleteRe: Hello Beautiful, yes, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I usually get annoyed by books that aren't strictly linear, that switch narrators or go back and forth among characters/timelines, but I'm not finding that this one bothers me much. I like that it has a basketball component, too; that's a big sport in our family. And the references to Catholicism hit so true as well.
I read this while on the stationary bike, but I currently cannot comment from my phone . . . so here I am, late. I'm so relieved that your headache faded. How wonderful that you experienced a relaxing time. I'm blown away that your friends didn't charge you. So awesome.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a home away from home, but I'd like to get me one of those. I do have friends that I like to see when I'm away from home. Coach and I are going to Dallas in April when Coach teaches a class there to see our friends that I used to babysit for when I was in high school. They are so great. We stay connected with really long phonce calls a few times a year, but getting to hang with them is the bomb.
Ernie--How terrific that you remained friends with kids you used to babysit! That's so special. You're sure to have a good time when you get together in April. What a great thing to look forward to! Is there a chance you can make this a regular thing? Or reciprocate and have them come to the Chicago area every other year?
DeleteWe were blown away, too, when Tim didn't charge us. So unexpected! He's a great friend and a kind soul.
I'm so sorry that you struggled with a terrible migraine. I've been fortunate to not have them, but I know they can be debilitating. So nice that you were able to enjoy (gently) the wine tasting party.
ReplyDeleteWow, the inn keeper sounds like a KEEPER. That is so sweet and generous. The Coach and I have many people in our lives that have been kind to us; we refer to it as our Clean Living mantra. We do good to others and the good comes back. You and Rick are the same.
BB Suz--It's really no secret, is it? The old "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" that we all learned as little children. The good doesn't only come back to us, it spreads out into communities as well. Kindness begets Kindness.
DeleteI'm glad that you haven't had to experience migraine. Truly. Mine are much, much less frequent than they used to be, thankfully, but when they do arrive, it's miserable.